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Horizontal mergers and heterogeneous firm investments: evidence from the United States

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  • Li, Dongxu

Abstract

I find on average firms respond to a horizontal merger by investing less in PP&E, labor, and R&D. There is notable heterogeneity among the non-merging rivals. The laggard rivals reduce investments in PP&E, labor, and R&D while the neck-and-neck rivals do the opposite. There is an insignificant change for the leader rivals. These results support Aghion et al. (2005) on the inverted-U relationship between competition and innovation. Also, I show evidence that financial constraints and innovativeness are two factors that drive rivals’ heterogeneous responses. This empirical study sheds light upon the pattern in which horizontal mergers shape industry evolvement.

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  • Li, Dongxu, 2024. "Horizontal mergers and heterogeneous firm investments: evidence from the United States," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:empfin:v:75:y:2024:i:c:s0927539823001317
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jempfin.2023.101464
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Horizontal mergers; Investments; Innovativeness; Rival heterogeneity;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G34 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Mergers; Acquisitions; Restructuring; Corporate Governance
    • L41 - Industrial Organization - - Antitrust Issues and Policies - - - Monopolization; Horizontal Anticompetitive Practices
    • G31 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Capital Budgeting; Fixed Investment and Inventory Studies
    • O32 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Management of Technological Innovation and R&D

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